28 April 2023
The Lamborghini Bravo was a concept car designed by Marcello Gandini at Bertone for Lamborghini.
The Bravo was first shown at the 1974 Turin Motor Show.
The idea was that the Bravo would replace the Urraco.
The Urraco was designed with a 2+2 seating configuration as direct competition with the Porsche 911.
Porsche was manufacturing and selling over 10,000 911s annually, whilst Lamborghini struggled to reach four figures.
Sadly, due to a series of catastrophes, from production delays to the severe decline in the worldwide economy, resulting in very late deliveries and high cancellations.
It became so severe that Mr Lamborghini had to sell his beloved tractor business.
In 1972, even more pressure meant Ferruccio Lamborghini sold 51% of his darling Automobili Lamborghini to a Swiss captain of industry, a Mr Rossetti.
In 1973 we experienced the Middle East Oil Crisis; the price of crude oil became atmospheric with a sudden and dramatic loss of interest in thirsty motor cars.
Then in 1974, Ferruccio had to sell his remaining 49% to a colleague of Georges-Henri Rossetti, Rene Leimer.
And to add insult to injury, the Urraco was not a success, and its potential replacement, the Bravo never made production.
